Police probe deadly Spanish forest fire

Euronews

Who started Spain’s most deadly fire in over a decade? That is the question being probed after a barbecue sparked a blaze that killed 11 volunteer firefighters. It was lit in an area turned into a tinder box by the country’s worst drought since the 1940s. Police are questioning day-trippers and youths, as efforts to extinguish the inferno continue.

It has scorched up to 12,000 hectares in the central Guadalajara province and forced hundreds to flee their homes.
As fire crews battle to stop its relentless progress, the loss of life has left the whole of Spain in shock.
It seems the volunteers died when a sudden change in wind direction encircled them with flames.
With ages ranging from 24 to 52, the group included a woman.
Local officials maintain that unprecedented air and ground efforts are being used in a bid to control the fire.
But some here complain that real help did not arrive until after it had proved fatal.
Forensic teams are struggling to identify the burned bodies of the victims – further intensifying the agony for their families.